Behind the Shot
Taylor was invited by Aston Martin to photograph their collection at the famed Monterey Car Week. “It was a dream come true. If I could have any luxury car, it would be the Aston Martin DB5. It’s got James Bond written all over it. It is the most beautiful car I’ve ever seen.”
Most people recognize the DB5 from its featured role in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, and again a year later in Thunderball. Few luxury cars have the distinctive appeal of the Aston Martin DB5. Between 1963 and 1965, only 1,059 of the aluminum body, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera-designed DB5 were produced. A breakthrough for Aston Martin, the DB5 featured an all-aluminum 4-liter inline V-6 engine capable of producing 282 bhp, and could hit 145 miles per hour.
“When I was a little kid I really wanted to be an automotive designer. I was fascinated by design and how the designers carved the bodies out of huge blocks of clay. I wrote letters to all the automotive manufacturers asking for advice on how to become a car designer, but I never heard back from anyone. All these years later I get to be near cars photographing them. I think you can find your way back to your passions no matter what you do.”
